LINCOLN — After Omaha's year of violence — 41 homicides, peaking Dec. 5 with a 19-year-old killing eight people and himself at the Von Maur department store — some Nebraska lawmakers say it's time to clamp down on guns.

In The World-Herald's annual survey of state senators, 11 of 42 participating lawmakers said the Legislature should do something in 2008 to address gun violence, although proposals remain in the works and specifics are few.

Those lawmakers would need help, and it isn't clear how many of their colleagues might agree with them. Twenty-seven state senators indicated that they were undecided about the issue or declined to give a yes or no answer to the question.

Several said no law could have prevented the Von Maur shooting.

"What would you have us do? Total gun control? Absolutely not!" said State Sen. Carol Hudkins of Malcolm. "The nuts and the criminals will still find a way to get a gun."

Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, the Legislature's only black member, long has called for stricter enforcement of gun laws. He said that in his view, local, state and federal law enforcement have not been sufficiently concerned about Omaha's gun violence because it involved young black men committing crimes against black citizens.

Chambers, whose 44-year-old son suffered injuries in a shooting Thursday, did not take part in the survey.

In an interview Wednesday, he said he had no plans to introduce a gun control bill in 2008. "No matter what law we put on the books, if they're not enforced, they're dead letters," he said.

Sens. Deb Fischer of Valentine and Tom Hansen of North Platte, said they were opposed to debating gun issues in 2008.

Fischer said the Legislature already faces plenty of other tough issues, and she had yet to see any specific legislation proposed by the City of Omaha.

"It's up to the city," she said. "I think we need to be cautious with any proposal."

Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha said this week that he will propose a multipart gun control bill.

It would call for higher minimum prison sentences for those convicted of using a gun in a felony, require people to store guns under lock and key and require prompt reporting of stolen weapon. He also may propose requiring permits to own some weapons.

Ashford said his aim is to keep certain semiautomatic weapons, such as AK-47-style rifles, out of the hands of people with severe mental illness. However, he is still working out the details and may not be able to introduce that provision this session.

Ashford said gun-rights politics for too long has blocked a serious discussion of gun safety measures.

"It's easier to say, 'Let's put people in jail who commit crimes,' than to say, 'Are there things to keep guns out of the hands of children, out of the hands of people who commit crimes and out of the hands of people with mental illness?'" he said.

On the other philosophical side is Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial, who is considering introducing legislation to make it easier for people to carry concealed weapons.

He said someone with a concealed weapon might have been able to stop perpetrator Robert Hawkins before he opened fire at Von Maur, although it's hard to say because Hawkins appeared bent on suicide.

"A criminal is going to have a gun whether it's legal to carry it or not," Christensen said. "Banks ban guns on their premises. I've asked them a number of times why. They're putting up a sign — 'come rob us, there's no innocent people here with guns.' "

Nebraska already has a law allowing people to get permits to carry concealed handguns, although towns and business premises are allowed to individually ban the weapons.

Christensen is considering legislation that would allow people with permits to at least travel through areas where weapons are banned without risking arrest for carrying them.

Other lawmakers said a solution probably falls somewhere in between.

"I want to make sure the laws have an actual impact and not just infringe on lawful gun owners," said Sen. Amanda McGill of Lincoln. "The Von Maur case was such an extreme case, I'm not sure any gun control law could have changed that. But I don't think everybody having a loaded gun on their hip would have helped either."

Sen. Abbie Cornett of Bellevue said she could support gun restrictions on family members of those with mental illness or a history of violence.

"Gun control or not, that's one step I can take," she said. "Why in the world would somebody with a child with mental illness have guns in the house?"

Legislative Speaker Mike Flood of Norfolk said he does not believe gun control legislation is the answer.

But he does believe violence in Omaha is a state problem that needs state attention.

Flood said he would support devoting manpower from the Nebraska State Patrol if the Omaha Police Department desires assistance. "It's no less of a state issue than if it were happening in Kimball," he said.